''Awaiting the European union: stabilisation of inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in the Western Balkans''

Awaiting the European union: stabilisation of inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in the Western Balkans

Awaiting the European union: stabilisation of inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in the Western Balkans
The Project „Awaiting the European Union: the Stabilisation of Inter-Ethnic and Inter-Religious Relations in the Western Balkans“ is a two year project that was conductedimplemented by the Centre for Religious Studies of Belgrade Open School – CIRel/BOS (Belgrade, Serbia), in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Berlin, Germany), International Multi-religious Intercultural Centre – IMIC (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Nansen Dialogue Centre Osijek (Osijek, Croatia) and Nansen Dialogue Centre Montenegro (Podgorica, Montenegro) and in cooperation with Theological-catechetical institute of Diocese of Subotica (Subotica, Serbia). This project was funded by the European Union.
The specific objective of this project was to support and contribute to a more active participations of NGOs civil society organizations in intrer-ethnic and inter-religious dialog as an important element of inter-cultural dialog. Also this project should have enabled their wider contribution to the consolidation of democracy in the region and participation in the decision-making process, streighten and support networking of civil society with the aim of their participation in the process of  improving the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as mutual communication of ethnic and religious communities at local, national and regional level.
empower civil society network(s) in order to strengthen their participation in the process of promotion of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as their mutual communication on local, in country, and regional level, both horizontally (institutions coming from various local communities) and vertically (local stakeholders – civil society organisations, local authorities, political parties, media, educational institutions).
CIRel/BOS in cooperation with its partners have realised implemented the following project activities:  
•Two Regional Schools; “Religions of the Balkans – “encounters and interweaving” in Sarajevo and “Civil society, ethnic and religious communities of the Balkans – encounters and interweaving” in Becici.
•Two regional Online Courses – “School of tolerance: Ethnic and religious communities in the promotion of minority rights” and “School of tolerance: Ethnic and religious communities in contemporary civil society” both with the initial encounter in Belgrade.
•Two Trainings on Policy Paper Writing, held in Belgrade;
•Two Regional Conferences – “Civil society and religious communities for empowerment of ethnic minorities positions” held in Osijek and Subotica       
•Updating and promotion of the regional Web portal Faith-Knowledge-Peace
•Preparation, publishing and distribution of the Collection of Essays.

Photo gallery from the Project can be seen here.